• SSA accounts for two-thirds of exploited children
With about 138 million children still engaged in child labour, the world has fallen short of reaching the 2025 global elimination target, as findings show that the current battle is too slow.

Despite that child labour globally has almost halved, from 246 million in 2000 to 138 million in 2024, estimates released yesterday by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said to end child labour in the next five years, current rates of progress would need to be 11 times faster.

The report, titled ‘Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Road Forward’, released ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour commemoration today, underscored a stark reality that while gains have been made, millions of children are still being denied their right to learn, play and simply be children.

It stated that sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continues to carry the heaviest burden, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all children in child labour – around 87 million.

It said while prevalence fell from 23.9 to 21.5 per cent, the total number has remained stagnant against the backdrop of population growth.

This is just as the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has issued a clarion call for accelerated, sustained and collective action to eliminate child labour in Nigeria and across Africa.
NECA Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said despite Nigeria’s ratification of key international conventions – including ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age and Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour—millions of Nigerian children continue to engage in dangerous work, sacrificing their health, education and future potential.

According to him, child labour not only robs children of their childhood but also erodes the foundation of national development.

He said there is a need for all stakeholders, including government at all levels, employers, workers and civil society, to deepen collaboration and strengthen the enforcement of existing labour laws.

He also called for the passage of the reviewed labour laws which address the participation of children in workplaces.

“As employers, we have a responsibility to ensure that our operations, policies and supply chains are free from child exploitation. We must integrate child protection into business practices and actively contribute to the broader goal of youth empowerment and national development.

“While we have made commendable progress, we must accelerate our efforts. We need to move from intention to action through stronger enforcement, greater investment in education, and robust support systems for vulnerable families,” he said.

To accelerate progress, UNICEF and ILO are calling for governments to invest in social protection for vulnerable households, including social safety nets such as universal child benefits, so families do not resort to child labour.

They called for the strengthening of child protection systems to identify, prevent and respond to children at risk, especially those facing the worst forms of child labour.

They urged governments to provide universal access to quality education, especially in rural and crisis-affected areas, so every child can learn.

They said governments must ensure decent work for adults and youth, including workers’ rights to organise and defend their interests, adding that they must enforce laws and business accountability to end exploitation and protect children across supply chains.